Soft-Story Retrofit Cost in Los Angeles: What Apartment Owners Pay

A Los Angeles soft-story retrofit costs roughly $30,000 to $130,000 for a typical apartment building, according to published contractor estimates; the city's program pages list no price. Large or complex buildings run $130,000 to $250,000 or more. Owners of rent-stabilized units can pass up to 50% of the cost to tenants, capped at $38 per unit a month.

This page is for owners of apartment and mixed-use buildings under the City of Los Angeles mandatory soft-story program. If you own a single-family house with a room over the garage, the city ordinance does not cover you, and the numbers you need are on our single-family soft-story cost page.

What does a soft-story retrofit cost in Los Angeles?

We found no cost figure on the program pages of LADBS or the Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD), so every dollar range here comes from contractors. We list three that publish their planning numbers. Treat them as estimates from firms that sell this work, not as quotes.

Per unit, SKS Construction puts the average at $5,000 to $15,000, and it budgets $5,000 to $15,000 for structural engineering plans and $3,000 to $10,000 or more for permits and city fees.SKS Those are one firm's estimates too. Cal Retrofit names the cost drivers: how many moment frames or cantilever columns the engineer calls for, the foundation work, the number of units and site access.Cal Retrofit

Which buildings must comply with the LA soft-story ordinance?

Ordinance 183893 took effect November 22, 2015.LAHD It applies to existing wood-frame buildings, or wood-frame portions of buildings, where both of these are true:Ordinance 183893

• The permit for the original construction was applied for before January 1, 1978, or, if no permit can be found, LADBS determines the building was built under codes enacted before that date.
• The ground floor has parking or similar open space that creates soft, weak or open-front wall lines, with one or more stories above.

The only exemption is a building with three dwelling units or fewer used solely for residential purposes. That means a four-unit residential building can be in scope, and a mixed-use building does not qualify for the exemption however few units it has. LADBS identified about 12,000 buildings and began mailing courtesy notices in March 2016, according to LAHD.LAHD

If you think your building was listed by mistake, the ordinance lets you appeal the scope determination to the Board of Building and Safety Commissioners within 60 days of the order's service date. Selling does not help: the time limits run from the original order, and a transfer of title does not change them.Ordinance 183893

What are the deadlines, and how many buildings have complied?

Each owner receives an order to comply. From the date the order is received, LADBS gives three time limits:LADBS

• 2 years: submit proof of a previous retrofit, or plans to retrofit or demolish.
• 3.5 years: obtain the permit to start construction or demolition.
• 7 years: complete construction.

LADBS sent orders in priority groups. The dates below are when each group's orders started going out, so a 7-year clock counted from them ends between May 2023 and November 2024. Orders served later run later; your own deadlines count from the service date of your order.

The most recent LADBS status report we could retrieve is dated February 1, 2024. It counts 12,347 soft-story buildings. Of those, 11,779 (95%) had submitted plans, 10,970 (89%) had permits and 9,377 (76%) had certificates of compliance, leaving 2,970 still pending at the final step.LADBS status report The same PDF breaks the numbers down by council district, and LADBS links it from the program page so owners can check whether a building has applied.

Missing a deadline is not a paperwork issue. The ordinance makes it unlawful to maintain or occupy a building in scope that fails the standard after the order, and a violation is a misdemeanor.Ordinance 183893

Can you pass the cost through to tenants?

For units under the Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO), LAHD's Seismic Retrofit Work Cost Recovery Program allows a temporary rent surcharge, if LAHD approves it:LAHD

• Up to 50% of the total retrofit cost, divided equally among all rental units.
• A maximum increase of $38 per month for 120 months. The period can be extended until the full approved amount is collected.
• The application is due within 12 months of finishing the work, with the registration statement, the Tenant Habitability Plan and its declaration of service, cost documents, a rent roll, final permits and the Certificate of Compliance.

A worked example, using a round number from the contractor ranges above rather than a quote: an 8-unit RSO building with an $80,000 retrofit could seek up to $40,000, or $5,000 per unit. At the $38 cap, 120 months recovers $4,560 per unit, so the surcharge would run about 132 months to reach $5,000. LAHD's online application applies the actual formula, and only approved costs count. We have not found LAHD guidance on how a grant payment changes the recoverable cost, so ask LAHD before you budget on it.

Is there a grant for Los Angeles soft-story retrofits?

The Earthquake Multi-Unit Retrofit (EMR) program, run by the California Residential Mitigation Program (CRMP), is the one built for this. Its rules cover owners of wood-frame residential buildings with 5 to 10 units, built before January 1, 1991, with a soft, weak or open-front deficiency and a city-issued order to retrofit, in cities with a mandatory soft-story ordinance.CRMP EMR rules

• It pays up to 70% of engineering and permit fees, capped at $7,000, plus 70% of retrofit construction, capped at $4,260 per unit.
• The maximum per building is $49,600, according to the California Earthquake Authority, which matches the $7,000 fee cap plus $4,260 for each of 10 units.CEA
• Payment comes after the work is completed and documented. Work done before CRMP's notice to proceed makes the building ineligible, and after that notice you have 270 days to finish.

The 2026 registration window ran from August 19 to September 30, 2026, for buildings in 14 cities including Los Angeles, and it is now closed.CEA Owners whose retrofit is already underway or finished cannot use EMR for that work. The Earthquake Soft Story (ESS) grant is a separate program for single-family houses, covered on the single-family soft-story page. LADBS also points owners to the California Capital Access Program (CalCAP) at the State Treasurer's office as a possible financing loan.LADBS

How do you get a soft-story retrofit done in Los Angeles?

1. Read your order. Note the service date; all three deadlines run from it. If the building is not in scope, the appeal window is 60 days.
2. Hire the designer. The ordinance requires a structural analysis by a California-licensed civil or structural engineer or architect.Ordinance 183893 LADBS says all plans and structural analysis go to its Soft-Story Retrofit Unit.LADBS
3. Get bids on the approved plans. CSLB recommends at least three written bids on the same scope, and every contractor's license should check out on CSLB's site.CSLB Our guide to hiring a retrofit contractor covers the license check and contract rules.
4. File the Tenant Habitability Plan. LAHD requires the online THP application after permits are pulled.LAHD
5. Build, then close out. Finish under permit, get the Certificate of Compliance, and file the LAHD cost-recovery application within 12 months if you have RSO units.

The soft-story retrofit cost in Los Angeles is set by the engineering on your building, so the contractor ranges above are for a first budget only. Get the structural plans, price them with at least three licensed contractors, and subtract the tenant pass-through and any grant you qualify for to find your net cost.

Sources

1. LADBS, Soft-Story Retrofit Program. Scope, priority dates, time limits, CalCAP pointer.
2. City of Los Angeles, Ordinance 183893. Scope, exemption, appeal, transfer of title, penalties.
3. LADBS, Soft Story Retrofit Program status as of February 1, 2024. Compliance counts.
4. LAHD, The Seismic Retrofit Work Program. Tenant pass-through rules and the application checklist.
5. CRMP, EMR Program Rules. Eligibility, incentive caps, timing.
6. California Earthquake Authority, EMR 2026 registration announcement. Window dates, cities, $49,600 maximum.
7. Cal Retrofit, Bay Cities Construction and SKS Construction. Contractor-published cost estimates.

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